First, a reminder that the Voting by Phone Initiative now seeking
signatures proposes phone voting as a choice, like
absentee voting. If you want to vote the usual way, fine, but
why not let the handicapped, elderly, distant rural residents,
busy parents or anyone else have the convenience?

Because voting by phone is the easiest and fastest method, it
produces the highest turnout- 94% in the world's first on June
20, a primary in Nova Scotia. This seems to threaten American
politicians who only want their own supporters to vote. More voters
make their game less predictable.

Because voting by phone is the most economical since it is the
most ecological way -no paper, no driving, no machines besides
the existing phone system and a computer- it makes practical a
real democracy, where citizens vote regularly on the issues important
to them. This is now done in Switzerland and in New England (and
Ward, Colorado) town meetings, and was most recently proposed
for the nation by Perot.

The Heart of the issue is: "whether or not America
believes in democracy and believes it can afford the risks that
go with democratic life. All of the objections to it are so many
different ways of saying 'the people are not to be trusted'."*

Columnist and former City Councilman Paul Danish and others
like the NY Times' William Safire fear the "instant"
emotional voting the phone might allow. Yet Congress has had electronic
voting for years and nobody has complained that Congress is moving
too fast--or blames the technology for their moral turpitude.
Voting on issues needs to be properly scheduled, which is taken
care of by Boulder's existing initiative laws.

Danish says that most non-voters are also disinterested and uninformed.
Actually, studies show that most participating voters
are uninformed about candidates voting records and vote largely
by party, name recognition or looks. A Kettering Foundation study
showed that a lot of non-voters are not so much disinterested
as disgusted. Give them a regular vote on the issues instead of
just personalities and watch them take interest!

The founding fathers settled for a representative democracy largely
because most Americans were illiterate and had no time to come
together to vote. These problems are solved! As Andrew Jackson
said: "If there is a problem with democracy, the solution
is more democracy."

Safire and others worry about a "mobocracy"
voting to steal our liberty. That's why we have a Bill of Rights
and a judicial system to protect us or the J. Edgar Hoovers and
Richard Nixons and George Bushes would have stolen what's left
years ago. I think liberty requires democracy and so did George
Bernard Shaw: "Liberty means responsibility. That is why
most men dread it."

If you want teen-agers to grow up, you have to give them responsibility.
Same with citizens. America is like an adolescent: high-powered
and eating up the planet's resources. But we can blame the President
for not signing the Rio Accords. We can blame Congress for our
enormous debt. We must grow up and share the responsibility. As
the philosopher Goethe said, "What government is best?
That which teaches us to govern ourselves."

America's whole history is a move to more democracy- giving
the vote to blacks, women and 18-year olds, direct election of
Senators, and the establishment of voter Initiatives in 20 states.
Now that almost all of us can read and can find a phone, it would
be a shame to lose our self-confidence when real democracy is
within our grasp.

Canada is already considering a national phone referendum on its
new Constitution within 6 months as a result of the Nova Scotia
success. The Pentagon is now considering phone voting for servicepeople.
Why not us? Is Boulder bolder or just a (c)rock? Please
help us pass our petition, raise funds, write letters or do data
entry- you'll be making history. But don't delay- we have until
August 16 to collect 4000 more signatures. Call 444-3596.

You can also try our free demonstration of phone voting at
444-3596. If you registered in the City limits by July 8, we
can identify you by name and birthdate and keep you to one vote.
In our first vote, ending July 15, those registered voted 0% for
Bush, 23% for Clinton, 20% for Perot, and 57% for None of the
Above; 24% approved of the new Community Hospital parking structure,
29% disapproved and 47% had no opinion. The current vote substitutes
a question on Syntex for the parking question.

Watching so much of the intelligencia contort themselves to oppose
phone voting and/or true democracy reminds me of writer William
James' statement: "A great many people think they are
thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices."

Danish is right- Voting by Phone
is no panacea. But it
will lead to democracy- that's why politicians have been fighting
it since Bucky Fuller first proposed it in 1940. Think what a
different country this would be if the voters had been helping
run it for 52 years! Isn't it about time we got started? May
the best and brightest ideas win!

*Journalist Benjamin Barber, testimony to Congress on
the Voter Initiative Constitutional Amendment, 12/14/77, defeated
by your representatives. Power concedes nothing without a struggle.